In the semiconductor device production process, a pattern defect (hereinafter, referred to as defect including foreign matter and pattern defect), for example, the foreign matter, short-circuit, disconnection on the semiconductor substrate (wafer) may cause such failure as insulation failure and short-circuit of wiring. As the circuit pattern formed on the wafer is micronized, the resultant micronized defect may cause capacitor insulation failure, and destruction of gate oxide. Those defects are caused by multiple factors mixed in various states from the movable part of the carrier device and the human body, those produced through reaction of the process gas inside the treatment device, and mixture in chemicals and materials. It is therefore important to detect the defect generated in the production process, locate the source of the defect as soon as possible, and prevent generation of the defect for successful mass production of the semiconductor devices.
In the past, the method of locating the cause of the defect has been implemented by allowing the defect detection device to specify the defect position, observing and classifying the defect in detail by means of an SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) or the like, and comparing the result with the database so as to estimate the cause of the defect.
The device for observing the defect in detail by means of the SEM as disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is configured to detect the position of the defect on the sample by the optical microscope installed in the SEM-type defect observation device using the position information of the defect on the sample detected by an additional defect inspection device, correct the position information of the defect detected by the additional inspection device, and observe (review) the defect in detail by the SEM-type defect observation device.
Along with the higher integration of the semiconductor device, the pattern to be formed on the wafer becomes further micronized. Accordingly, the defect critical for the semiconductor device is also micronized. The aforementioned micronized defect detected by the defect inspection device is required to be observed (reviewed) with the SEM-type defect observation device in detail without lowering throughput. In order to implement the aforementioned observation, it is necessary to allow the optical microscope installed in the SEM-type defect observation device to detect the defect which has been detected by the additional defect inspection device quickly with high accuracy, and to correct the position information detected by the additional defect inspection device.
Patent Literature 2 discloses dark-field type microscopic method as the technique for detecting the micronized defect with high accuracy. For example, the method is designed to improve horizontal resolution around the interface using standing evanescent light as the illumination light beam, and actualize the resolving power higher than that of the generally employed optical method while retaining the throughput derived therefrom.